ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Two people were killed on Monday afternoon when a plane crashed in a wooded area while trying to return to the Northeast Florida Regional Airport in St. Augustine, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
Authorities, including FHP, St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, St. Johns County Fire Rescue, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, responded to the crash in the area where County Road 312 meets U.S. 1 on the northern side of St. Augustine, near Torres Trace.
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The National Transportation Safety Board said it will be coming to investigate the crash of the plane, which it says was a Mooney M20.
“Preliminary information indicates the airplane was turning back to the airport when the accident occurred,” the NTSB said in a statement.
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Action News Jax obtained radio communications with the plane and based on that communication between air traffic control and the pilot, a door on the plane seems to have popped open during takeoff.
Pilot: “St. Augustine tower, 4387. Door just popped open. Gonna need to come back for a landing.”
Tower Operator: “4387 now Whiskey Rodger, now make left closed traffic for runway one three. Runway one three clear to land.”
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The plane was cleared to turn around and land back at Northeast Florida Regional Airport, but moments later, communication with the pilot ended.
Tower Operator: “I had a Mooney out there on the base and I’ve lost coms with him. Did you see him land?”
Another Operator: “That’s negative.”
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The N-number of the plane mentioned in the radio communications matches up with a plane registered in Mooresville, North Carolina, according to FAA records. The victims have not yet been identified.
As part of its investigation, the NTSB will look at factors such as the pilot’s medical records, maintenance data of the plane, weather information, and radar data.
A preliminary report will be available in 30 days, but the NTSB said its final report will take 12-24 months to complete.
The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating the crash, FHP said.
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